News

AFP Detective charged with having kiddie porn

Yesterday on the radio I heard that two men, in separate incidents, had been arrested in the ACT regarding child pornography charges; one of whom was a serving ACT detective. In slight disbelief I spoke to a friend who is a ACT police officer who told me that he had heard a rumor to that effect in the last couple of days. He was incensed that someone “in the job” could do something like this. He also stated that he had worked with the officer that this was rumored to be and that that officer was a good investigator and he wouldn’t have picked him doing something like this in a million years. That fact that he had (allegedly) has made my friend doubt how good a judge of character he is. I suspect there are a few in the police force similarly rocked that one of their own could do something like this right under their noses, tarnishing the police force in the process.

The only online info I could find was this AFP media release dated yesterday. It states ACT police found out about this and handed it over to their ‘Professional Standards Unit’ to execute. As the AFP officer is in court today and cops in court is big news, especially for something as gross as kiddie porn, expect it to be in all the papers and all over the national news tonight/tomorrow.

[Ed – Thanks to Vicepope for the update:I just heard on the radio that he pled guilty and will be sentenced in May. I dont think there are any doubts now!
& smack for this link to the latest update on ABC Online.]

“He’s probably blown his career…” LOL, I think that may be a given Vice Pope! Future detriments? Like being locked up in a protection unit where he can network with other Pedo’s? Being kept separate from mainstream crooks who may injure him? The only detriments he will suffer (apart from the usual loss of freedom) exist only on the tongue of his lawyer, and in the mind of his judge. I wish the bench would educate themselves some time.

Yup. Guilty sounds like he did it. If so, “idiot” is barely a start, along with whatever epithets one wants to attach to aficionados of kiddieporn. He’s probably blown his career (and if he’s guilty, he should have blown his career) for this. Sentencing might be interesting – should the judge take into account the other detriments he will have suffered and will suffer in the future?

I used to work in Defence. If there is any suspicion about any porn there an HR person apparently appears at your desk together with a member of security. The suspect is asked to move away from their desk while the hard drive is removed and taken away. The suspect is then escorted from the building. If the drive is found to contain porn – you’re finished professionally. I understand one guy tried to argue that the porn found on his comuter must have been downloaded while he was at lunch by some troublemaking colleagues. I think he came unstuck when HR asked him if its actually possible to download several thousand pictures and catagorise them into various files (blondes, brunetees etc.) during an hours break.

When it comes to kiddie porn though a certain saying about throwing away keys comes to mind.

Joe Canberran is spot on. A non-disclosure agreement does not include disclosure of criminal behaviour in the public interest.

You can also tell your HR people in confidence. I am well aware of government departments covering up some criminal behaviour, breaches and misuse of public funding – hard enough to prove – but this would be a slam-dunk as there would be evidence on the computer even if it has been deleted.

wow… i thought people joined the police to stop people like that. its more common in this town then you think to people. i “may” of been working for the biggest telecommunications company in australia recently, and i “might” of uncovered child porn on one of there employee’s laptops. needless to say i was told to shut up about it and within the day i was fired. if it wasnt for all the non-disclosure agreements they made me sign i’d be taking it up further.